Classical lobular carcinoma in situ (CLCIS) of the breast is considered a non-obligate
precursor of invasive carcinoma. Histologically, it is categorized as a lesion with uncertain
malignancy potential, and clinical management often parallels that of benign neoplastic
conditions.
In contrast, its two variants, florid LCIS (FLCIS) and pleomorphic LCIS (PLCIS), have
distinct morphological and genetic characteristics and a higher probability of being
obligatory precursors to invasive carcinoma.
PLCIS shows marked cellular-nuclear pleomorphism, resembling high-grade ductal carcinoma in
situ (often initially misdiagnosed as such).
FLCIS, on the other hand, displays a complete architectural subversion of lobular structure
due to the increased rate of cell replication.
Both variants may show foci of comedonecrosis, a distinctive but not specific diagnostic
feature.
A significant difference from CLCIS is their breast distribution; CLCIS tends to be
multifocal, while the two variants typically present as unifocal.
Genetically, the two variants differ from CLCIS, with higher genetic instability, and
increased alterations in genes coding for tumor suppressors and proteins involved in cell
growth regulation and replication.
Immunohistochemically, both FLCIS and PLCIS regularly express estrogen and progesterone
receptors, and they may present higher HER2 (ERBB2 gene) over-expression compared to CLCIS.
Many controversies persist in the clinical management of these variants, largely due to their
rarity in pure, isolated forms. Often, they are associated with an invasive carcinoma, which
becomes the primary therapeutic focus, according to well established treatment protocols.
Dedicated studies, both prospective and retrospective, are completely lacking in the
literature, especially for pure FLCIS. Consequently, there is no consensus or approved
international guidelines for accurate diagnostic-therapeutic strategies. Even the
histological categorization of biopsy tests still remains a subject of debate.
Presently, there is unanimous consensus on the indication for surgical excision of these
lesions to improve histological definition and exclude the presence of an invasive neoplastic
focus. However, there is no consensus on the need of surgical margins cavity shaving and the
management of resection margins when they are proved to be close or involved at the final
specimen pathological report. Furthermore, there is a lack of evidence-based recommendations
for adjuvant therapies like radiotherapy or endocrine therapy. Some scientific international
associations, such as ESMO (European Society of Medical Oncology), suggest a similar approach
to pleomorphic variants as for ductal carcinoma in situ due to their morphological
similarity; yet, in the absence of robust evidence, this stance does not definitively support
the benefit of adjuvant therapeutic strategies and poses a relative risk of overtreatment.
To address these challenges, the investigators propose international multicenter
retrospective collection of cases involving the pure forms of FLCIS and PLCIS. Our goal is to
comprehensively analyze the diagnostic and therapeutic management of this specific patient
group and, notably, to fill the gap in the scientific literature regarding their treatment.